Collapsible Food Service Assembly

ABSTRACT

A collapsible food service assembly for facile stowing when not in use includes a tray, a set of articles of tableware, and a set of fasteners. Each fastener is engaged to at least one of an upper face of the tray and a respective article of tableware. The fastener is selectively engageable to at least one of the tray and an associated one of the set of articles of tableware. The set of fasteners is positioned to removably couple the set of articles of tableware to the tray.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR ASA TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM

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STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates to food service assemblies and more particularlypertains to a new food service assembly for facile stowing when not inuse.

(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37CFR 1.97 and 1.98

The prior art relates to food service assembles. Prior art food serviceassembles do not provide for the base features of the invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above bygenerally comprising a tray, a set of articles of tableware, and a setof fasteners. Each fastener is engaged to at least one of an upper faceof the tray and a respective article of tableware. The fastener isconfigured to be selectively engageable to at least one of the tray andan associated one of the set of articles of tableware. The set offasteners is positioned to removably couple the set of articles oftableware to the tray.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the disclosure in order that the detailed descriptionthereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that thepresent contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There areadditional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafterand which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features ofnovelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out withparticularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)

The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than thoseset forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to thefollowing detailed description thereof. Such description makes referenceto the annexed drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric perspective view of a collapsible food serviceassembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure in a collapsedconfiguration.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a front view of an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a rear view of an embodiment of the disclosure in a deployedconfiguration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through5 thereof, a new food service assembly embodying the principles andconcepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated bythe reference numeral 10 will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 5, the collapsible food serviceassembly 10 generally comprises a tray 12, a set of articles oftableware 14, and a set of fasteners 16. The tray 12 is substantiallyrectangularly shaped. The tray 12 has corners 18, which are arcuate.

Each fastener 16 is engaged to at least one of an upper face 20 of thetray 12 and a respective article of tableware 14. The fastener 16 isconfigured to be selectively engageable to at least one of the tray 12and an associated one of the set of articles of tableware 14. The set offasteners 16 is positioned to removably couple the set of articles oftableware 14 to the tray 12.

The set of fasteners 16 comprises a clip 22, which is engaged to thetray 12 as shown in FIG. 3. The clip 22 is configured to selectivelyengage a piece of cutlery 24 so that the piece of cutlery 24 is engagedto the tray 12. The piece of cutlery 24 comprises at least one of aknife, a spoon, a fork, a straw, and a spork 26. The piece of cutlery 24may comprise the spork 26, as shown in FIG. 1.

The set of fasteners 16 also comprises a peripheral ring 28, which isengaged to the tray 12 as shown in FIG. 3. The peripheral ring 28 isconfigured to selectively engage a bottom 30 of a drinking cup 32 sothat the drinking cup 32 is frictionally engaged to the tray 12. Thedrinking cup 32 comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, andelastomer. The drinking cup 32 comprises a plurality of interconnectedsegments 34 so that the drinking cup 32 is collapsible.

The assembly 10 also comprises a lid 36, which is selectively engageableto the drinking cup 32 to close a top 60 thereof. The lid 36 has a hole38 positioned therethrough. The hole 38 is configured for insertion of astraw (not shown).

The set of fasteners 16 also comprises a central ring 40 and a centerring 42. The central ring 40 is engaged to the tray 12 and is configuredto selectively engage a lip 44 of a bowl 46 so that the bowl 46 isfrictionally engaged to the tray 12. The center ring 42 is engaged to aplate 48 and is configured to selectively engage a base 50 of the bowl46 so that the plate 48 is frictionally engaged to the bowl 46. The bowl46 comprises a plurality of interconnected sections 52 so that the bowl46 is collapsible, as shown in FIG. 1. The bowl 46 comprises at leastone of rubber, silicone, and elastomer.

The present invention anticipates the fasteners 16 of the set offasteners 16 comprising other fastening means, such as, but not limitedto, magnets, hook and loop fasteners, and the like.

A connector 54 is engaged to a lower face 56 of the tray 12 and isconfigured to selectively engage a surface, such as a tabletop, a wall,and a side of a refrigerator, to engage the tray 12 to the surface. Theconnector 54 may comprise a connecting cup 58, which is resilientlycompressible. The connecting cup 58 is configured to be compressedbetween the tray 12 and the surface so that the tray 12 is suctionallyengaged to the surface. The connecting cup 58 may be one of a set ofconnecting cups 58, with the connecting cups 58 being engaged singlyproximate to each corner 18 of the tray 12, as shown in FIG. 2. Theconnecting cup 58 comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, andelastomer. The present invention anticipates the connector 54 comprisingother connecting means, such as, but not limited to, magnets, hook andloop fasteners, and the like.

In use, the assembly 10 is removed from storage and positioned on asurface, such as a table. The set of articles of tableware 14 isdisengaged from the tray 12 and then the bowl 46 and drinking cup 32 areextended for use.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodimentenabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials,shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, aredeemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and allequivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings anddescribed in the specification are intended to be encompassed by anembodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of thedisclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used inits non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. Areference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not excludethe possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unlessthe context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.

I claim:
 1. A collapsible food service assembly comprising: a tray; aset of articles of tableware; and a set of fasteners, each fastenerbeing engaged to at least one of an upper face of the tray and arespective article of tableware and being configured to be selectivelyengageable to at least one of the tray and an associated one of the setof articles of tableware, such that the set of fasteners is positionedfor removably coupling the set of articles of tableware to the tray. 2.The collapsible food service assembly of claim 1, wherein the tray issubstantially rectangularly shaped such that the tray has corners. 3.The collapsible food service assembly of claim 1, wherein the cornersare arcuate.
 4. The collapsible food service assembly of claim 1,wherein the set of fasteners comprises a clip engaged to the tray andbeing configured for selectively engaging a piece of cutlery, such thatthe piece of cutlery is engaged to the tray.
 5. The collapsible foodservice assembly of claim 4, wherein the piece of cutlery comprises atleast one of a knife, a spoon, a fork, a straw, and a spork.
 6. Thecollapsible food service assembly of claim 5, wherein the piece ofcutlery comprises a spork.
 7. The collapsible food service assembly ofclaim 1, wherein the set of fasteners comprises a peripheral ringengaged to the tray and being configured for selectively engaging abottom of a drinking cup, such that the drinking cup is frictionallyengaged to the tray.
 8. The collapsible food service assembly of claim7, wherein the drinking cup comprises at least one of rubber, silicone,and elastomer.
 9. The collapsible food service assembly of claim 7,further including a lid selectively engageable to the drinking cup forclosing a top thereof.
 10. The collapsible food service assembly ofclaim 9, wherein the lid has a hole positioned therethrough, wherein thehole is configured for insertion of a straw.
 11. The collapsible foodservice assembly of claim 1, wherein the set of fasteners comprises: acentral ring engaged to the tray and being configured for selectivelyengaging a lip of a bowl, such that the bowl is frictionally engaged tothe tray; and a center ring engaged to a plate and being configured forselectively engaging a base of the bowl, such that the plate isfrictionally engaged to the bowl.
 12. The collapsible food serviceassembly of claim 11, wherein: the drinking cup comprises a plurality ofinterconnected segments such that the drinking cup is collapsible; andthe bowl comprises a plurality of interconnected sections such that thebowl is collapsible.
 13. The collapsible food service assembly of claim11, wherein the drinking cup and the bowl comprise at least one ofrubber, silicone, and elastomer.
 14. The collapsible food serviceassembly of claim 2, further including a connector engaged to a lowerface of the tray and being configured for selectively engaging a surfacefor engaging the tray to the surface.
 15. The collapsible food serviceassembly of claim 14, wherein the connector comprises a connecting cup,the connecting cup being resiliently compressible, wherein theconnecting cup is configured for compressing between the tray and thesurface, such that the tray is suctionally engaged to the surface. 16.The collapsible food service assembly of claim 15, wherein theconnecting cup is one of a set of connecting cups, the connecting cupsbeing engaged singly proximate to each corner of the tray.
 17. Thecollapsible food service assembly of claim 15, wherein the connectingcup comprises at least one of rubber, silicone, and elastomer.
 18. Acollapsible food service assembly comprising: a tray, the tray beingsubstantially rectangularly shaped such that the tray has corners, thecorners being arcuate; a set of articles of tableware; a set offasteners, each fastener being engaged to at least one of an upper faceof the tray and a respective article of tableware and being configuredto be selectively engageable to at least one of the tray and anassociated one of the set of articles of tableware, such that the set offasteners is positioned for removably coupling the set of articles oftableware to the tray, the set of fasteners comprising: a clip engagedto the tray and being configured for selectively engaging a piece ofcutlery, such that the piece of cutlery is engaged to the tray, thepiece of cutlery comprising at least one of a knife, a spoon, a fork, astraw, and a spork, the piece of cutlery comprising a spork, aperipheral ring engaged to the tray and being configured for selectivelyengaging a bottom of a drinking cup, such that the drinking cup isfrictionally engaged to the tray, the drinking cup comprising aplurality of interconnected segments such that the drinking cup iscollapsible, the drinking cup comprising at least one of rubber,silicone, and elastomer, a central ring engaged to the tray and beingconfigured for selectively engaging a lip of a bowl, such that the bowlis frictionally engaged to the tray, the bowl comprising a plurality ofinterconnected sections such that the bowl is collapsible, the bowlcomprising at least one of rubber, silicone, and elastomer, and a centerring engaged to a plate and being configured for selectively engaging abase of the bowl, such that the plate is frictionally engaged to thebowl; a lid selectively engageable to the drinking cup for closing a topthereof, the lid having a hole positioned therethrough, wherein the holeis configured for insertion of a straw; and a connector engaged to alower face of the tray and being configured for selectively engaging asurface for engaging the tray to the surface, the connector comprising aconnecting cup, the connecting cup being resiliently compressible,wherein the connecting cup is configured for compressing between thetray and the surface, such that the tray is suctionally engaged to thesurface, the connecting cup being one of a set of connecting cups, theconnecting cups being engaged singly proximate to each corner of thetray, the connecting cup comprising at least one of rubber, silicone,and elastomer.